Central Elementary

Greetings,

What an incredible fall it’s been, and continues to be. As rigor increases, teachers are designing around strengths, purpose, and joy, as well as searching for new innovations to elevate and enhance instruction.

You can anticipate hearing from your child’s teacher very soon to coordinate plans for parent/teacher conferences. Be sure to inquire about fall data, as well as any curiosities regarding the learning to come!

Periodically, I will share behavioral data with you as a transparency piece as it relates to the effectiveness of our systems of supports. I am proud to report that overall behavior referrals are down in each of the three months we’ve been in session as compared to the 2024-2025 school. This is especially exciting in that last year’s behavior breakdowns were fewer than the year before that. In short, our systems are working, and our kids are awesome! In fact, with almost 20% of the year already in the books, over 95% of our student body fall within the 0-1 referral category. Many pictures within this newsletter capture ways in which we acknowledge our kiddos for being so great!

Enjoy the newsletter that follows, and as always, reach out with the questions you have.

Cordially,

Cody

*Respect* *Pride* *Integrity*

Every Friday we have a drawing for each grade level.

On Wednesday, October 8th, many Central Students and their teachers walked to school together from the church parking lot next door. This event was supported by many Lion's volunteers, school staff, and parents and was intended to celebrate the healthy benefits of walking.

The annual Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch took place on Thursday, October 16th. The students and staff gathered on the playground for one giant collective crunch!!! This is always a fun way to promote healthy eating and support Michigan farmers.

Find all the details in the following letter which was sent home with students this week.

If you are interested and haven't RSVP'd, please contact our office about details to attend.

See details below.

Chickens have arrived on our campus! We are excited about the opportunities our new little friends might provide as it relates to enhancing the student experience in alignment with our EL curriculum. For example, modules at various grade levels include Birds' Amazing Bodies, Caring for Birds, and Animal Defense Mechanisms, as well as units on Weather and Water. Per school policy regarding non-service animals, please know necessary precautions have been/will continue to be taken to protect student and staff health and safety, animals will be treated humanely with appropriate housing properly cleaned and maintained, and surrounding areas will be kept in a clean and sanitary condition at all times.

10/23 - Vision Screenings provided by the Lion' s Club for all students

10/24 - HALF Day - dismissal at 12:00pm

10/29 - Ream and Ruiz to Weesies

10/29 - 4th grade to downtown Muskegon

10/30 - School Picture RETAKE Day

11/5 - 3rd grade to Lakeshore Museum

11/7 - HALF Day - dismissal at 12:00pm

11/10 - Central Skate Party at Jumpin' Jupiter 5:30pm

11/14 - DK to Muskegon Nature Preserve

11/15 - Turkey Trot at the Muskegon Luge

11/17 - Birr & Brandford to Duck Creek Natural Area

11/26-11/28 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

Online registration for the 2025-2026 school year still welcome.

All sporting event tickets are 100% cashless now. The link below will guide you through purchasing tickets. You can purchase tickets at the gate with a digital payment or credit card. Avoid lines and wait time purchase your tickets in advance.

Go Rockets

https://gofan.co/app/school/MI10169

Our Capturing Kids' Hearts theme for the month of October is:

Self-Direct.

We are soo close to being 100% complete. Please complete this process if you haven't done so. If you are having troubles with username, password, or access codes, please call the office for assistance. Attached is a document with step by step instructions for completing the demographic update and linking siblings. Keep in mind that you must be on the internet to complete this process. Chromebooks are available in the office for your use.

The link to access the parent portal is in the document below.

Library Schedule

Mondays: Ream, Braman, Bradford, Ms Nicole, Workman, Birr, Tindall, Burmeister, English

Tuesdays: Sandee, Ruiz, Nauta, Mack, Droski, McGreavy, Wahr, Gartland, Groothuis

If you have any questions regarding library, please email Mrs. Wynn at wynna@reeths-puffer.org or call her at 231-744-1693 ext 2550.

Hello Friends!

September is flying by! Here is our October calendar and our registration link. Please share with any friends/ families you'd like to invite to play, learn and grow with us. Fall break is October 13, 14 and 15. Play and learn will be closed those days.

https://forms.gle/GmK2gaKfodj8Ktr67

Early On is available to all Muskegon County families. If you have any wonderings about development for your birth to three year old, please contact them! They support our group on Monday and Tuesday. https://www.muskegonisd.org/earlychildhood/earlyon/

We are going to be a part of the NEA Big Read with the Muskegon Area District Library. We will read the Little and Mini Reads with our group. There are events and crafts with the library. Visit https://madl.org/blogs/post/big-read-lakeshore-2025/ for more information.

Target has a trade-in event happening until October 4. Check out their website if you need a new car seat, stroller or baby gear.

Take care,

Molly Smit

RP Play and Learn Host

Door #1 - 2nd grade & Bus Students

Door #2 - DK & K

Door #3 - 1st grade & Lighthouse Learning

Door #8 - 3rd grade

Door #9 - 4th grade

DOORS UNLOCK AT 8:35AM and lock again at 8:45AM. IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 8:45AM, PLEASE BRING YOUR STUDENT TO THE OFFICE (Door #1) TO SIGN THEM IN. THANK YOU!

DISMISSAL INFO:

Half Days 12:00pm dismissal

Full Days 3:45pm dismissal

• School starts at 8:45. Please drop off within the 8:35-8:40AM window. Breakfast kiddos will be encouraged to enter before the others, as to protect beginning-of-the-day instruction time.
• If you're running late, please bring your child to the office and sign them in.
• When dropping off and/or picking up your child, we thank you for coming to the sidewalk, rather than having students run to you in the parking lot.
• DK/K Parents: For safety reasons, please remain on the north side of the cones when parking near the northeast parking lot. We stage our youngest learners south of the cones.

***Please remain patient, observant, aware, and courteous. Arrival and dismissal is simply about all kids being able to enter and exit school safely. We appreciate your partnership in keeping these critical portions of the day both safe and supportive.

Rockets,

If you have been following the news, you have probably heard a lot of chatter about the state budget and even the possibility of a government shutdown. That naturally raises a big question for families: Will our kids still get free breakfast and lunch at school?

Here is the good news. Yes, we believe so.

Why We Are (relatively) Confident:

At Reeths-Puffer, making sure students have healthy meals is not just a “program.” It is part of how we fuel learning. We have more than one safety net in place:

• The State Program: Michigan lawmakers launched a universal free meals program, and we expect it to continue once the state budget is finalized.

• The Federal Program (CEP): Recently, RP qualified for a federal program called the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP. That means we can continue serving free meals to all Rockets even if the state program were to be delayed. Expect us to carry this "at least" through October.

A Couple of “What Ifs”

• What if there is a government shutdown? Your child’s meals will continue without interruption.

• What if CEP ever ended? That is very unlikely. If it did, or if it is modified, we would likely return to the old system of free, reduced-price, or paid meals based on family applications.

Bottom Line

The Legislature has missed its legal deadline to pass a budget, and we are already a quarter of the way through our fiscal year. Even so, you can be assured that R-P has a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C. No matter what happens in Lansing, we will keep putting healthy food on trays and fuel in bellies as long as we can.

Sincerely,
Steve
Superintendent

In the meantime, especially with all the uncertainty, thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application. Your participation directly supports our kids and our schools.

You can find the form here: bit.ly/RPSFE2025

IMPORTANT NOTE: Breakfast and Lunch will be served in the cafeteria. At this point both meals will be free to all students through the end of September. You can set up a lunch account at familyportal.cloud and deposit money if your child would like to purchase alacarte items. Students can also bring a check or cash to school to be deposited into their account. Please send it in an envelope marked "lunch account" and include the student and teacher names. Thank you!

Breakfast Schedule

8:25 - 8:45am

Lunch Schedule:

Grade DK: 11:20 - 11:50

Grade K: 11:25 - 11:55

Grade 1: 11:30 - 12:00

Grade 2: 11:45 - 12:15

Grade 3: 11:55 - 12:25

Grade 4: 12:00 - 12:30

Food service is hiring staff for all buildings in the district. See info below to apply.

Questions?

• Jackie Blomeke, MBA, RDN
  Director of Food Service
  blomekej@reeths-puffer.org

Please remind your student to pick up their jackets they may take off during recess. If your child is missing any items, have them check the lost and found. Parents are welcome to stop in to take a look as well.

Medication shall not be brought to school unless it is essential to the health of the student.

Medications which need to be taken in school must be administered by certified school personnel (or designee) in the presence of another adult. Parents must bring medication to the school office in the original container and file a written statement. NO STUDENT MAY BRING ANY MEDICATION TO SCHOOL.

Contact the office if you have any questions.

Early pick-ups = Tardy or Absence

When students are picked up early:

Within the last hour before dismissal = Tardy

An hour or more before dismissal = Absence

Cell phones and/or texting devices can be disruptive to the educational environment. Students are not permitted to carry them during the school day - this includes during recess and lunch. When possible, parents should communicate through school staff. If these items are brought to school and are seen, they will be taken away. Items will be held by the principal until a parent or guardian comes to school to pick them up. Apple watches are discouraged, but if worn, should only be used as a watch. If seen talking on or texting with an Apple watch, the watch will remain in the office until a parent or guardian comes to school to pick it up. Thank you for your observance of this policy.

Please do not bring your pets on school property for the safety of our students and staff. Service animals are welcome.

Thank you for your understanding!

Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm

School Hours: 8:45am - 3:45pm

Phone: 231-744-1693

Fax: 231-744-0507

1807 W. Giles Rd

Muskegon, MI 49445

Website: www.reeths-puffer.org
Location: 1807 West Giles Road, Muskegon, MI, USA
Phone: 231-744-1693